We are looking forward to Elevate, Dance for Parkinson’s Advanced Training, 28 FEB – 2 MARCH, 2025.
Here is a sneak peak into the schedule:
Friday 28 February
Optional Community class with the ZEST Team
Saturday 1 March
8.30 – ARRIVAL & WELCOME
Session 1 – Welcome to DPA & The Nat Cap
- Presenter/Facilitator: Dr Erica Rose Jeffrey + DPA Team
- Introductions, A Warmup, Housekeeping,
Session 2 – Spotlight on Props
- Presenter/Facilitator: ZEST Team – Debora di Centa, Jane Ingall, Jacqui Simmonds, Philip Piggin
- The ZEST teaching artists will share with you their experience in using props in dance class, exploiting the potential of props to take dancers beyond what is already familiar to them.
Session 3 – Respiration/Inspiration
- Presenter/Facilitator: Christopher Carroll, Philip Piggin
- This workshop will explore principles for freeing the voice, through group exercises that build on and enrich a language of physical movement. Drawing on the Roy Hart Method, this workshop will step through activities that integrate body, voice, and imagination, in a spirit of play and exploration.
Session 4 – Some Secrets to Share!
- Presenter/Facilitator: Cathie Goss, Jeanette Neden, Natasha Cesco, Jeanette Neden, Cathie Goss, Paige Gordon, Dr Erica Rose Jeffrey
- This panel discussion will be preceded by a short presentation on aspects and patterns of volunteer engagement in community dance classes across Australia, using the results of a survey of members of the committee.
Session 5 – Dance: What the Research Tells Us
- Presenter/Facilitator: Dr Allyson Flynn, Gabi Stanger
- This presentation will be on the research behind dance and how you can incorporate this into practice to optimise the experience for people with Parkinson’s disease. The presentation will discuss why dance is important for people with Parkinson’s disease.
Session 6 – Who is Looking After Me?
- Presenter/Facilitator: Jeanette Neden, Dr Erica Rose Jeffrey
- In this session we will discuss different ways of understanding self-care in the context of the creative community practice and dance. We will explore specific challenges, and ways of managing them that draw on creativity for sustaining and sharing self-care practices in community settings.
Session 7 – Letting Go of the Day and Returning to the Self – Seated Yoga – Breathe, Move and Be
- Presenter/Facilitator: Robyn Lewis, Philip Piggin
- In this one-hour session, you will have an opportunity to learn about and experience Chair Yoga, an accessible approach to practicing yoga with the support of a chair.The practice will incorporate movement, breath, mindfulness and constructive rest.
5:45 FINISH
7pm – DINNER + Enlighten Festival
Sunday 2 March
8.30 – ARRIVAL & WELCOME
Session 8 – Let’s Dance
- Presenter/Facilitator: Jess Conneely
- Exchange of ideas & great dances!
Session 9 – Take Your Partner, Exploring Standing Partner Dances
- Presenter/Facilitator: RIPE (Gail Hewton), Jess Conneely
- In this workshop you will learn 2-3 tried and tested partner dances which focus on participants standing unassisted (though seated and assisted standing options will be included).
Session 10 – Honouring Culture – Working with Cultural Diversity
- Presenter/Facilitator: Emma Laverty, Paige Gordon
- Delve into beginning diverse cultural relationships and conversations. Getting started can often be the hardest part however the rewards of this important work can be so rewarding. Bring an open mind, any questions, and feel free to take notes.
Session 11 – It’s Film Time
- Presenter/Facilitator: Dr Erica Rose Jeffrey
- Sip your cuppa &; watch some special dance films from DPA dance friends across the country, with Q&A.
Session 12 – The Expansive Dancer – 120 Years and Still Thriving
- Presenter/Facilitator: Liz Lea, Erica Rose Jeffrey
- Indulge in the mastery of movement – from the smallest detail through to engaging the full physicality of the mind and body. This workshop is designed to call on the deep-rooted skills of Dance for Parkinson’s teachers to sink into in their own bodies and experiences. Through activating gentle observation and visualisation we explore ways of translating exploratory movement into stationary or seated choreography that maintains a deep flow and physical connectivity.
Session 13 – Building Sustainability through Partnerships
- Presenter/Facilitator: Group Panel: Paige Gordon, Jess, Conneely, Natasha Cesco
- An enriching exchange of experiences and ideas focused on fostering meaningful connections, collaborations and partnerships with like-minded government and non-government organisations, as well as key stakeholders.
Session 14 – Conclusion in the Courtyard
- Presenter/Facilitator: Dr Erica Rose Jeffrey + DPA Team
- Review, Evaluation, Celebrate & Farewells
5:30 FINISH
PRESENTERS INCLUDE:
Dr Erica Rose Jeffrey (Director, DPA)
David Leventhal (Director, Dance for PD, New York)
ZEST: Dance for Wellbeing, ACT
Liz Lea (Director of Liz Lea Creates, The Stellar Company and the BOLD Festival)
Gail Hewton (RIPE Dance/Gold Moves Australia)
Emma Laverty (ACT First Nations Dance Artist)
Christopher Carroll (Actor, ACT)
Robyn Lewis (Churchill Fellow & Yoga Practitioner, ACT)
Dr Allyson Flynn (University of Canberra)
Board Members of Dance for Parkinson’s Australia (Natasha Cesco, Jess Conneely, Paige Gordon, Philip Piggin and Gabi Stanger).